So, you’ve got a new high refresh rate 1440p monitor? Then realized your current graphics card is capable of reaching the glorious 144Hz performance in exactly zero games? Now you need a GPU that will be able to render your favorite titles in 1440p resolution and above 100Hz, right?
Well, don’t fret because we prepared the ultimate list of GPUs capable of providing a 1440p 144Hz experience. No matter if you want to play AAA titles on max details or just want to run games in 1440p resolution at 144Hz regardless of visuals, we’ve got you covered.
Copy of Best Graphics Cards for 1440p 144Hz Gaming – Our Picks
| Award | Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Best Graphics Card for 1440p 144Hz Gaming w/ No Compromises | EVGA RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming |  |
| PowerColor RX 6800 XT Red Devil |  |
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| PowerColor RX 6800 Red Dragon |  |
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| Best Graphics Card for AAA Games at 1440p 144Hz w/ High Settings | EVGA RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming | |
| Zotac Gaming RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC |  |
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| EVGA RTX 3060 Ti FTW Ultra Gaming |  |
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| PowerColor RX 6700 XT Hellhound |  |
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| XFX RX 6600 XT Speedster SWFT 210 |  |
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| Best Graphics Cards for eSports, Indies, and AAA Games w/ Medium Settings at 1440p 144Hz | Zotac Gaming RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC | |
| MSI Gaming RTX 2060 Super |  |
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| MSI RTX 2060 Ventus GP OC |  |
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| ASRock RX 5600 XT Challenger |  |
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| Best Budget Graphics Card for a 1440p 144Hz Experience | Zotac Gaming GTX 1660 Super |  |
Some Minimum Requirements To Compliment Your Card For 144Hz Gaming
Before we serve the main dish, let’s talk about other components needed for 1440p 144Hz gaming. First of all, you need a capable CPU. We wouldn’t go with anything lower than the Core i5 9400 (the 9400F version without the integrated GPU is noticeably cheaper) or Ryzen 5 3600.
The best price to performance choices includes CPUs such as the Intel Core i5 10400F, 11400F, 10600KF, and 10700KF. Ryzen offers the fastest gaming CPUs at the moment, with the Ryzen 5 5600X, Ryzen 7 5800X, and Ryzen 9 5900X. When it comes to memory, 16GB of fast RAM (3200MHz and higher) is the sweet spot. If you own a Zen 2 or 3 processor, go with 3600MHz/3800MHz low-latency memory. Ryzen CPUs love fast memory that works in sync with Infinity Fabric.
Best Graphics Cards for 1440p 144Hz Gaming w/ No Compromises
Let’s get one thing straight before we start shelling out graphics cards left and right. A true, zero compromise 1440p 144Hz graphics card for gaming doesn’t exist. Some games, such as AC: Valhalla, MS Flight Simulator, Cyberpunk 2077, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, or Control won’t get near 144Hz with all settings maxed and ray tracing turned on. But there are a couple of options that can run most games with maxed-out settings at 1440p and 144Hz.
We didn’t include the RTX 3090 because that card’s a clear overkill for 1440p. If you want the best performance in this resolution, get the RTX 3080 Ti instead. The AMD RX 6900 XT also isn’t included, for the same reasons. We have another thing to note. While we mostly included current GPUs, we did mention last-generation equivalents where applicable. The GPU market still is all over the place, so if you’re looking for a used GPU you should find the average performance of the most popular models below.
EVGA RTX 3080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming
| Memory | 12 GB GDDR6X |
| Base Clock | 1365 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1800 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The fastest graphics card we can recommend is the RTX 3080 Ti. The Ti version of the 3080 packs 12 gigs of fast GDDR6X memory coupled with high clocks and monstrous power requirements. The regular version of the card packs 10 gigs of equally fast GDDR6X memory and is about 10-12 percent slower than its faster cousin.
In other words, you should expect a smooth 144fps or higher (if you own a monitor that supports refresh rate overclocking) framerate with all settings cranked to the max. The usual power hogs mentioned above won’t push 144fps (some even work below 100fps) with ultra settings. But hey, at least you’ll be able to play those games with ultra settings at framerates noticeably higher than 60fps.
And when it comes to less demanding games, not only will they work butter smooth, they’ll most likely run at insane framerates, well above your monitor’s max refresh rate. In that case, we recommend downloading the RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) and using it as an external frame limiter. Just set the max framerate a couple of frames below your max refresh rate and you’re set.
PowerColor RX 6800 XT Red Devil
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1900 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2340 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The best 1440p 144Hz card from AMD is the RX 6800 XT. The card is quite capable and, in rasterization, it’s faster than the RTX 3080@1440p. You also get 16GB of memory. The memory’s slower (GDDR6 vs GDDR6X found on Nvidia cards) but AMD’s Infinity Cache makes up the difference in bandwidth. On the flipside, Nvidia cards have two big upsides. The first is better ray-tracing performance, with the second being DLSS.
Yes, AMD did release FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) recently, which is the company’s answer to Nvidia’s DLSS. But firstly, FSR doesn’t look as good as DLSS and secondly, FSR works both with AMD and Nvidia cards. You won’t get the same level of performance boost when using an Nvidia GPU but still, you’re able to use it and reap performance benefits. Finally, if you look at the list of current and upcoming games with DLSS and/or FSR support, you’ll notice that DLSS has better support among developers.
So yes, if you find an RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT at similar prices, we recommend going with the Nvidia option. But that doesn’t mean that the AMD card isn’t bad. Remember, when gaming at 1440p the RX 6800 XT is faster. On top of that, the performance in most games is good enough to not need any kind of upscaling performance boost.
PowerColor RX 6800 Red Dragon
| Memory | 16GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1800 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2170 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The RX 6800 is the third-fastest card from AMD and an excellent choice for 1440p 144Hz gaming. The RX 6800 is a tad slower (about 12 percent) than the RX 6800 XT and it offers one of the best 1440p high refresh rate experiences. 16 gigs of fast memory will make sure you’ll be able to run next-gen titles, once these come out. Overall, a card that can run any games in triple-digit framerates as long as you don’t turn on ray-tracing effects.
Again, ray tracing performance is far from Nvidia counterparts and there’s no DLSS support. But the card is noticeably faster than the RTX 3070 while being on par with the more expensive RTX 3070 Ti. You won’t be able to run the latest AAA titles at 144fps but a great majority of current titles will run well above 144fps. That said, even the most demanding AAA games will run at or near 100fps, which should be more than enough for single-player experiences.
Best Graphics Card for AAA Games at 1440p 144Hz w/ High Settings
If you’re ready to lower some visual settings to achieve 144 FPS in most games, you don’t have to go for the best cards available today. Something like the RTX 3070 or RX 6700 XT should do the trick. Again, AMD cards don’t support DLSS, only FSR, which makes Nvidia cards (at the moment) better choices if you want higher performance in popular games (a good number of which has DLSS support).
EVGA RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming
| Memory | 8 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1575 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1860 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
Zotac Gaming RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC
| Memory | 8 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1500 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1755 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
Now, we had to make the 1440p no compromise cut somewhere and we decided that the RTX 3070 ends up in the lower performance bracket. That said, the RTX 3070 Ti is on par with the RX 6800 meaning that the Ti version should offer no compromise AAA 144Hz experience in most titles. The usual suspects won’t run near 144fps with all settings cranked to the max, but those with DLSS support should get really near the magic 144fps boundary.
The regular RTX 3070 will offer more than 100fps in games such as RDR 2. Further, ultra-demanding games that support DLSS (did someone said Cyberpunk 2077?) will run in triple-digit framerates, as long as you use DLSS and forget about ray tracing. Overall, a huge majority of games will run north of 144fps and that includes every single competitive esports title out there.
The main downside of the RTX 3070/RTX 3070 Ti duo is only 8GB of memory. This is already a limiting factor in some titles, but only at 4K for now. Whether the 8GB of memory will become a limiting factor in 1440p gaming still is an open question. Mind that when looking for your next GPU. Finally, when it comes to the last-gen GPUs, the RTX 2080 Ti offers almost the same performance as RTX 3070 and you also get 3 more gigabytes of memory, which is a nice bonus.
EVGA RTX 3060 Ti FTW Ultra Gaming
| Memory | 8 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1500 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1800 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The RTX 3060 Ti is the best bang for the buck GPU for 1440p high refresh rate gaming, at least if we’re looking at the MSRP. The card’s about 15 percent slower than the RTX 3070 which translates into triple-digit performance in most games with options cranked to the max. The most demanding AAA titles will have to see their settings turned down a notch to get the high refresh rate experience. Either that or turning on DLSS where possible.
In some games, such as Control or Cyberpunk 2077, you’ll have to do both if you want to reach triple-digit performance. If DLSS isn’t available (like in AC: Valhalla) either play at medium-high settings or settle for a 60fps experience. Of course, as is the case with all GPUs featured up to this point, any esports game will run wondrously on this GPU. And if you’re ready to get a used GPU, both the RTX 2080 and 2080 Super offer a very similar (90 percent of performance or higher) gaming experience.
PowerColor RX 6700 XT Hellhound
| Memory | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 2321 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2581 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The AMD RX 6700 XT is very similar in performance to the RTX 3060 Ti and RTX 3070. AMD’s offering has more graphic memory (12GB vs 8GB on the RTX 3060 Ti/RTX 3070) and is a bit faster at 1440p. On the flip side, there’s no DLSS support and you’re getting noticeably worse ray tracing performance. This translates into near-triple digit framerates in AAA titles with settings turned down to medium-high, even when playing the worst offenders when it comes to system requirements.
This also means that, if you’re ready for a 60fps experience in single-player AAA titles, you’ll be able to enjoy them with all settings cranked to the max. Of course, this also means no ray tracing since this will tank performance way below the 60fps mark in games that support it. Older AAA titles and multiplayer games should give you 144fps performance with max settings.
XFX RX 6600 XT Speedster SWFT 210
| Memory | 8 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 2092 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 2589 MHz |
| Outputs | 2× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The RX 6600 XT is the latest graphics card from AMD that’s about 10 percent faster than the RTX 3060. With this level of performance, we could just put it in the lower performance bracket but we decided that it’s fast enough to be the minimum requirement for high refresh rate 1440p AAA gaming.
But the RX 6600 XT’s high refresh AAA gaming promise has a lot of limitations. First of all, forget about max settings. Hell, forget even about most settings set too high, at least when it comes to the most demanding games. If you want a high refresh AAA experience, be ready to lower most of the settings to medium. A medium-high setting combo should be enough for a 60fps AAA experience in most titles. And, of course, forget about ray tracing.
8GB of GDDR6 memory should be good enough for a solid gaming experience in current and upcoming games since this isn’t a card made for running games at 1440p with max settings. And of course, esports titles should push high framerates, often surpassing the 240fps mark.
If you play a lot of titles with DLSS support, we recommend opting for the RTX 3060 over the RX 6600 XT. And, finally, if you’re scouring the used market, something like the RTX 2070 Super, RX 5700 XT, or the legendary GTX 1080 Ti should offer almost the same performance. The former also has DLSS support, which is (nowadays) a big plus.
Best Graphics Cards for eSports, Indies, and AAA Games w/ Medium Settings at 1440p 144Hz
The cards below should achieve 144fps in most esports titles (COD: Warzone being the sole esports outlier). They should also give you a smooth 60fps experience in AAA titles with most settings cranked to high. Lower the visuals to medium and you should come very close to triple-digit framerates in most AAA titles.
Finally, this bracket is mostly composed of last-gen GPUs. The reason for recommending last-gen graphics cards is the fact that Nvidia only released one suitable GPU that can be considered lower mid-range (RTX 3060) in this generation while AMD released none. And due to many games supporting DLSS we strongly recommend getting the Nvidia picks since you’ll get a noticeable performance boost in many games, including some very popular esports titles such as Fortnite, COD: BLOPS Cold War, and COD: Warzone.
Zotac Gaming RTX 3060 Twin Edge OC
| Memory | 12 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1320 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1807 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
Overall, the RTX 3060 is slower than the RX 6600 XT but if you ask us, the Nvidia card is a better choice at the moment. Sure, it’s slower but it has DLSS support that can push certain titles well over 100fps with DLSS enabled. Further, some demanding games, such as Watch Dogs: Legion, can be enjoyed at 60fps with ultra settings with DLSS. Finally, the RTX 3060 comes with a whopping 12GB of memory, plenty of memory for current and future titles.
But if you mostly play multiplayer games and games that don’t support DLSS, the AMD part might be a better buy. Even though the RX 6600 XT has a narrower memory bus (192-bit vs 128-bit on the RX 6600 XT) and less memory (12GB vs 8GB on the RX 6600 XT). Overall, the RTX 3060 will push almost every single multiplayer game well over 144fps with all settings cranked to the max.
You should reach at least 60 frames per second in demanding AAA games with high-medium settings. Older AAA titles (Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Borderlands 3, even RDR 2) will run well above 60fps will high/max settings. If you’re interested in last-gen cards with an equivalent performance they include RTX 2070 and the card featured right below.
MSI Gaming RTX 2060 Super
| Memory | 8 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1470 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1695 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The RTX 2060 super is within a 5 percent performance difference compared to the RTX 3060. The last-gen card has less memory (8GB vs 12GB on the RTX 3060) but everything else is the same. DLSS support is here and while both support ray tracing, we wouldn’t use RTX effects in most games. Overall, this translates into great esports performance and 60fps AAA experience with settings turned down to medium/high, depending on the title and whether it supports DLSS or not.
MSI RTX 2060 Ventus GP OC
| Memory | 6 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1365 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1710 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The RTX 2060 is the least powerful card we can recommend for a high refresh gaming experience @1440p in games that aren’t multiplayer only. You will have to use DLSS and/or turn down most visual settings to achieve higher than 60fps performance in recent AAA titles such as RDR 2 or Shadow of the Tomb Raider. That said, many AAA games will still run @60fps with most, if not all, visual settings cranked to the max.
But if you want to be able to run upcoming AAA games at 60fps and without sacrificing too much eye candy, we recommend getting a faster GPU with more memory. Only 6GB of memory hurts the RTX 2060 in titles such as Doom Eternal and it will hurt it in the future titles.
ASRock RX 5600 XT Challenger
| Memory | 6 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1420 |
| Boost Clock | 1750 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The RX 5600 XT, another last-gen card this time from AMD, is still an able contender @1440p. It’s just a tad slower than the RTX 2060 Super meaning you should expect very similar performance in both AAA and multiplayer titles. Less memory (6GB vs 8GB on the RTX 2060 Super) does mean you might have to play games with lower resolution textures. And the lack of DLSS might prove detrimental when trying to run some of the latest AAA games at 60fps, even when turning most settings to medium.
Best Budget Graphics Card for a 1440p 144Hz Experience
Zotac Gaming GTX 1660 Super
| Memory | 6 GB GDDR6 |
| Base Clock | 1530 MHz |
| Boost Clock | 1785 MHz |
| Outputs | 3× DisplayPort 1× HDMI |
The GTX 1660 Super is the minimum what we recommend for gamers who want to have a high refresh rate 1440p experience. This card will run most esports titles at over 100fps with the highest settings. Some titles, such as COD: Warzone or Apex Legends, will have to see many visual options lowered to achieve triple-digit performance.
When it comes to AAA games, you’ll have to sacrifice a lot when it comes to visuals to reach even 60fps, let alone 100fps or higher framerate. The lack of DLSS support hurts the GTX 1660 Super. If the card supported DLSS it could run every AAA game with DLSS support without issues @60fps or higher without lowering graphical settings too much. At least it supports AMD FSR. Finally, only 6 gigs of memory mean using lower resolution textures in most AAA titles.
If you’re looking for an alternative, the GTX 1660 Ti is your best bet. It’s a bit faster (only a couple of percent) while also being a bit more expensive. When it comes to older alternatives, there’s the GTX 1070, which has 8GB of memory and is slightly faster.
